Benton pulls away late to beat rival West Frankfort

The Benton Rangers headed south for a Saturday afternoon matchup with their cross-county rivals, the West Frankfort Redbirds. It was a slow start offensively, as Benton led just 12-0 at halftime and 18-0 after three quarters. But the Rangers broke it open in the fourth, scoring 21 points to pull away late and secure a dominant 39-0 shutout.

Benton was led by senior Kobe Cali, who had a huge day with 5 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception and several tackles on defense.

With the win, Benton improves to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play, while West Frankfort falls to 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the conference.

Next week, West Frankfort will host winless Anna-Jonesboro for homecoming, while Benton will travel to face 2-5 Pinckneyville.